Sukkot and the Living Water

During the 7 days of Sukkot, a sacrificial pouring out of water (called a water libation) was performed at the Temple. In a ceremony, the High Priest would lead a procession to the pool of Siloam where he would fill a golden pitcher with water and then return to the courtyard of the Temple. When the High Priest would pour out the water, the people would wave their lulavot (4 species of plants) and sing out from Ps 118:25-26 – “Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, let us thrive! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.”

On the spiritual level, note that water represents that which nourishes our hearts. Jeremiah (Jer2:13) says, “for my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that cannot hold water” Jesus is the water of life. He is the only place where we can find that which will satisfy our souls.

Do we make our own pitchers and try to collect water from the things of this world? That water will not do us any good for it will evaporate and we will have no more. However, if we have Jesus, the Water of Life, we will never be thirsty. Do you remember the story of the Samaritan woman who wanted water that she wouldn’t have to keep going back to the well? Jesus said that He would give “living water” to anyone who would ask.

Will we let Him be our sufficiency? Will we trust Him to supply all that we need for our thirsty souls?